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In my previous post, I discussed the Sawyer Mini Water Filter, at 2 ounces, a real challenge to big clunky water filters.

I use a SteriPen Adventurer, an ultralight version that weighs around 4 ounces. Two long-lasting batteries are required.

Today, however, I saw a review by someone who does some serious trail testing: PCT Thru Hiker Red Beard. He took the Sawyer Mini on his 2014 thru-hike and felt that it clogged too much to make it useful on long hikes.

This year, he was planning to take the SteriPen Ultra, 4.9 ounces. The SteriPen Ultra has no batteries and is rechargeable. Let’s hear from him about his pre-hike thoughts on the Ultra.

I got a fresh-brewed cup of coffee out of the visit (very good) and hands-on experience. It is solid and folds flat. Worth checking out at $29.95 if you love good trail coffee.

Jetboil Coffee Press

Weight

0.8 oz (22g)

For my birthday, my wife bought me a coffee press for my Jet Boil. In my home try-out, I added 8 ounces of water, which boiled in one-minute. I stirred two tablespoons of fresh, dark french roast (#4 grind), let it sit for 3 minutes, then inserted the press to push down the grounds. Coffee was excellent. Fits inside the Jetboil cup. About $10.

Starbucks VIA® Intant

Weight

.02 oz (3g)

Finally, a few months back, a friend and fellow backpacker brought Starbucks VIA® Instant coffee packets. If you like good coffee, like me, the thought of instant coffee gives you the shivers. Surprise. Surprise. Starbucks is excellent and the Dark French was strong the way I like it. Each packet costs less than a dollar and a fraction of an ounce — a dozen grams maybe. There are 15 flavors, including decafs, flavored (like Caramel Latte) and light and medium-bodied roasts. Here is a Weblink for a look-see: Starbucks Instant Coffee.

My Choice

I like and recommend all three.

The Snow Peak is sturdiest and heaviest (4.9 ounces).

The Jetboil is a great trail coffee solution for the Jetboil Cooking System.

The Starbucks VIA® Instant is lightest of the “ultralight backpacking” trail coffee solutions.

We all know the sure way to creating an ultralight backpack is to start light with minimalist pack, mat, bag and tent (under 10 pounds). Beyond that, the little things can add up; an ounce here and an ounce there can quickly become pounds on your back.

One of my recent finds for good trail oral hygiene and pack weight reduction, which eliminates the need for a tube of toothpaste, is the Archtech Toothpaste Tablet. See photo for size of a single tablet. You can buy 60 tablets from Amazon for $6.74. Maybe you even leave behind the brush and use your finger, further cutting your weight.

I bought a pack and tried them. They taste good. And, they seem to work.

It was 1998 and I had just finished my first year of backpacking with a pack that weighed in at 45+ pounds. Then I read the book, the Ray Way, a guide to ultralight backpacking, and instantly became a devotee. His wisdom lead to my quest for ultralight backpacking and ultimately this blog. He and his wife were able to get their packs to 9 pounds on a PCT trip while the rest of us where still hauling 5 times that much.

Without doing a lot of history research, I figured Jardin was the father of modern lightweight backpacking, since legends like John Muir, who carried a rucksack with a few hard biscuits, must have been the original “father” back at the turn of the 20th century.

In any case, Jardin published a book in 2009 I just discovered: “Trail Life, Ray Jardine’s Lightweight Backpacking” with the subtitle: 25,000 miles of trail-tested know-how.

Seems like a no-brainer as a must-read for anyone who wants to lighten their load.

A interesting note: Jardine was age 50 when his original book came out. He is now pushing 70. No doubt he is still on the move.

It always useful to have a back up (or two) and the know-how to start a fire when you forget your matches or they get wet in a rain storm. This battery method looks so simple. I knew that fine “0000” steel wool burns easily with a match even if is is wet. But this is one more ultralight tool for that all important fire for cooking for keeping warm. Be sure to keep a fresh battery in your pack.

My hiking shoes are waterproof Keen “tennis” shoes. But after walking across too many streams barefoot on sharp rocks — and an achilles injury from new boots — I decided to carry a second pair of shoes. Extra shoes, of course, means extra weight. This video shoes three alternatives. I encourage you to share other options with my readers.

If you’ve read my blog, you know that I love to find little stuff — call them quality of life items — that don’t cost much, don’t weigh much and yet can add a lot of comfort.My latest find are rubber finger protectors for cuts, burns, scrapes. They look like condoms for your finger and come in three sizes. They are available at CVS or other pharmacies.

If you’ve read my posts about technology, you know I love iPods as trail companions. I’ve struggled lately on the trail: do I bring my iPhone (with camera, movies, music, GPS app – 5 ounces) or just go with my Flip Ultra (video camera that easily uploads to YouTube). To complicate matters, the new iPhone 3GS has a video camera as well as still camera and true built-in GPS and more.They are all relatively light when you consider what you get in a single device.But I just bought the new iPod Nano with a bigger screen (2.2 inches), video camera, music, audio books, and movies, as well as a built-in FM-radio for $149. Best of all, it weighs 1.5 ounces, is 1.5 inches wide, 3.75 inches high and 1/4-inches thick. Since it has flash memory, instead of a hard drive, it comes on instantly and the battery lasts up to 8 hours. Â The new Nano is a winner.Be light. Be safe. Be one with the pack.

In the latest issue of Backpacker Magazine are 33 tips for lightening your load. One I have pointed out before, but it is worth mentioning again: don’t leave behind items that can make your trip comfortable and/or satisfying. Example:

I have three sleeping pads: 14 ounces, 20 0unces and 36 ounces. Two are self inflatables: a 3/4th length and full-length. They are fairly comfortable, but the third one, while biggerÂ is not only much more comfortable, but warmer because it provided incredible insulation against the cold ground. That allows me to carry a lighter sleeping bag. About the “satisfying” part of my comment: a fresh apple for lunch or cookies can give your trip and your attitude a big boost.